Milford man’s body found by his teenage daughter, family says

The body of the Milford man whose death is being investigated as suspicious was discovered Tuesday morning by his teenage daughter, who climbed in through a ground-floor window and found him lying unresponsive with a bloodied face, according to family members.

Jeffrey Brooks, 47, had moved into the apartment building at 103 Main Road in Milford about two weeks earlier with his daughter, 15-year-old Emerald Brooks, according to Silver Brooks, her 16-year-old sister.

On Monday night, Emerald came home to find the apartment locked, so she spent the night with a neighbor. The next morning, she climbed into the apartment through a window and found her father on his bed with severe wounds on his face, said Desare Bourgoine, mother of both girls. Emerald called 911.

Penobscot County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the apartment around 11 a.m., immediately determined the man was dead and began investigating his death as “suspicious,” according to Chief Deputy William Birch. Birch declined on Wednesday to further comment on the case.

The Maine State Police is assisting in the investigation, he said, which is typical when a death could be ruled a homicide. A Maine State Police spokesman did not respond to an email Wednesday seeking comment.

Brooks’ daughters and their mother on Wednesday were awaiting an autopsy report that might shed more light on what happened, Bourgoine said.

Callie Ferguson | BDN

Callie Ferguson | BDN

A deceased man was found inside the ground floor apartment of 103 Main Road in Milford on August 7.

His death comes just as he was re-entering the lives of his two teenage daughters, whom he primarily raised, Silver Brooks said. He was released from the Maine State Prison in Warren on May 29 after completing a 9-month sentence for a felony theft conviction, according to the prison.

Despite hardships growing up, Silver recalled her dad as a dedicated parent. The family struggled financially, she said, and Jeffrey spent time in and out of jail on theft convictions. But the girls never wanted for their basic needs, and Silver said her father juggled carpentry jobs with making his daughters home-cooked meals, insisting the trio eat together at night to talk about their days.

After his release in May, Brooks stayed in Bangor and then moved into the Milford apartment with Emerald about two weeks ago, according to Silver, who does not live with her parents and resides with a friend.

Before he died, Silver said her father was back to working in carpentry in Bangor.

“Although he’s never really been a social butterfly he can get along with almost everyone,” Silver said. “He was an amazing person, and I can’t believe he’s gone.”